Again, I apologize for not having blogged for some time. I am finally on summer break, and I've been enjoying being able to just relax!
Recently, I was asked a question: "What has been your biggest challenge as a student with food allergy on a college campus?"
That's an interesting question, and one that is entirely relevant to FoodAllergyTalk.com. I would say it's hard to think of just one instance. I could also answer that from two perspectives:
1) As a student, I would say my hardest experience was trying to get the dining halls to cater to my very restricted diet. It took almost a month of constantly approaching the chefs and managers at my dining hall in order to finally get the right people's attention. It took dedication and standing up for myself, but I was finally provided with very wonderful meals that were safe to eat and worth the big bucks I had to spend for the meal plan.
2) As the creator of FoodAllergyTalk, and the founder and president of the FoodAllergyTalk club at [ASU], my biggest challenge there is getting people to take me and my club seriously. It turns out, this may take more time than I even have at ASU, but hopefully soon people will not let out a smile/snicker when I tell them the club that I am a part of. When I, or anybody else, tell people about this club, I want them to know the seriousness off it all. I want them to know that food allergies constantly effect the lives of those who have them, as well as their families and friends. Above all, I want them to realize that it can even be life threatening, and is no laughing matter. Having a support group, people to rely on, and a group that can educate others at ASU and in the community can greatly help those individuals to live a happy and save allergy-free life. As me and my club continues to tackle this challenge, we just have to keep our heads up and stay strong.
